Indonesia's indigenous group Badawi has asked to cut off internet access to its area "to minimize the negative impact of smartphones and the virtual world" on its members, representatives said Friday.
The Bedouin community adheres to its traditional oral culture, and this community of 26,<> people in Banten County, Java, is divided into two parts: a marginal group that partly embraces new technologies, and a central group that tries to avoid the dangers of modern life.
The central group called on authorities to cut off the internet and divert nearby communications antennas so that the signal does not reach them, according to a letter seen by AFP.
According to the letter, telecommunications antennas built near their area could threaten the lifestyle of residents and the mental health of young people who may be inclined to use the internet.
Officials in the Libak district of Banten province said they received the letter on Monday and agreed to speak with Indonesia's information ministry to try to respond to the request.
Bodhi Santoso, an official at Lipac, said on Friday: "Above all, we want to adapt to what the members of the Bedouin community want, and we have to preserve their local traditions and knowledge."
Marginal residents within the Bedouin community need the internet to run companies they have established online, but according to Santoso, the authorities fear that visitors or tourists will access the network and post content they deem inappropriate for the Bedouin community.
The isolated Bedouin community chose to live in the jungle and rejected technology, money services and traditional education.
The community resides in three villages spread over 3,4 hectares, a hours' drive from the capital, Jakarta.